In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, I, the inventor, typically hybridize a large number of peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. I also grow a smaller number of open pollinated seeds of each of these fruits, usually to capture recessive traits. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of cherry tree, which has been denominated varietally as ‘Glenearly’.
During the blooming season of 2002 I hybridized a tree of ‘Brooks’ (unpatented) cherry as the selected seed parent by ‘Glenred’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,859) cherry as the selected pollen parent. The fruit of this cross was gathered in the spring of 2002, and the seeds were removed from the fruit, germinated, and grown as seedlings on their own root in my greenhouse. Upon reaching dormancy that year the seedlings were transplanted as a group to a cultivated area of my experimental orchard located near Le Grand, Calif., in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). During the fruit evaluation season of 2006 I selected the present variety as a single tree from the group described above. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of cherry tree, I asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting in the experimental orchard described above, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects. The reproduction of the variety included the use of ‘Colt’ (unpatented) rootstock, upon which the present variety was compatible and true to type.
The present variety is similar to its seed parent, ‘Brooks’ (unpatented) cherry, by being moderately vigorous, by being self unfruitful but moderately productive, by having reniform glands, and by producing commercial cherries for long distant shipping, but is distinguished therefrom by blooming about seven days earlier and by producing cherries that are darker red in skin color, that are much darker red in flesh color, that are much less susceptible to skin cracking, and that mature about five days earlier.
The present variety is most similar its pollen parent, ‘Glenred’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,859) cherry, by being self unfruitful, by having reniform glands, and by producing fruit that is dark red in skin color, dark red in flesh color, firm, sweet, and fairly crack resistant, but is distinguished therefrom by blooming about three days earlier, by being somewhat less susceptible to over-production, and by producing cherries that are slightly smaller, that are clingstone instead of semi-freestone, and that ripen about five days earlier.